An earthquake of 7.1 on the Richter scale struck Honduras at midnight two days ago. The epicentre of the two-minute quake was the Caribbean coast just north of Bay Islands. Suggestions of another quake is adding to tensions.

Catholic aid agencies CAFOD in the UK and Development & Peace in Canada are calling on multi-million pound mining giant Goldcorp to ensure their San Martin mine in Honduras does not leave a toxic legacy when it closes at the end of 2009.

Church and development organisations working in hurricane-hit Nicaragua and Honduras are urging people not to forget the long- and short-term victims of the region's 'hidden disaster', the profile of which is being dwarfed by other world events in the media.

Hurricane Felix, which struck Nicaragua on Tuesday 5 September 2007, has destroyed 9,000 homes, according to the Nicaraguan government. 38 people are confirmed dead, with another 80 missing. Honduras and Guatemala have also been hit.

Evacuations from coastal areas have begun in earnest, as a ‘potentially catastrophic’ hurricane threatens Central America. Church and development agencies have been working with local emergency committees to help communities create shelters.